The Most Wonderful Time . . . Of The Year!

The Christmas Season is my favorite time of the year. I love the lights, the decorations, the candles that smell of baked pies and real Christmas Trees and QVC!

In past years I have started the count down to Christmas on July 25th.

Christmas shopping has always begun on that day and Black Friday was ALWAYS a huge event for me.

But not this year.

Oh DON’T get me wrong! It’s still my favorite time of the year; but this year, it’s different.

There is a remarkable peace between the household, and an understanding amongst my husband and myself, of what really is important.

Last year, my then five year old asked me, point blank to my face, “Is Santa real?” I looked at her and said, “Yes.” Now, I know that millions of kids around the world believe in Santa Clause; I know. I get it. But it has haunted me on a regular basis that I lied to my daughter.

This year, my son informed me he wanted and I-Pad for Christmas (he’s 7!)! After informing him, “Christopher, you know we can’t afford that.” In the most sarcastic voice, he said, “Santa can!”

It broke my heart.

Santa had become more powerful than Jesus.

While Chris and I both tried hard in years past to make sure both kids knew the REAL reason for Christmas, we still failed.

The commercialism and fantasy world won.

It broke my heart.

After sharing with my husband what Christopher said, we made the tough decision of being honest with the kids about Santa.

I know, I know, many of you are reading this and gasping; and that’s OK; but we did what we believed was best for our kids and our life situation.

After telling the kids, Kaitlyn looked at me and said, “You lied to me.”

It broke my heart.

Confirmation we made the right decision.

Do I have my Santa’s out? Absolutely. Do I let the kids watch Christmas movies about Santa? Absolutely.

The difference; I can lay my head down at night and know I did what is right by what the Lord was putting on my heart; that I didn’t keep lying over and over to my kids; and the focus continues to go back to the Cross.

Who can argue with that?

Last year we threw out our Christmas tree. No, we are not bah-humbugs! It was old and had several branches broken off! Last year we had no idea we would still be in a rut of unemployment; so we figured we’d get another one.

BUT, this year, the Lord never gave us a peace about getting a new tree. We couldn’t justify buying something like that with so many other life expenses that were necessities. So, we used a table top tree we had used in years past for Chris’ Star Wars and StarTrek Ornaments.

We placed it on top of our electric fireplace and hung our stockins from it! Doesn’t it look GREAT! I just love it!

We all chimed in over the last two days to decorate.

My dancing ballerina!

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This is our last Christmas with my Kayla. Here she is posing with her rocking horse ornament from her first Christmas in 1992. Where has time gone?

Preparing to hang the nail on the tree. . . .

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The Christmas Nail poem:

This is The Christmas Nail. It is to be hung on a sturdy branch,a branch near the trunk,a branch that will hold such a spike without being noticed by well-wishersdropping by to admire one’s tinseled tree. The nail is known only to the home that hangs it. Understood only by the heart that knows its significance.It is hung with the thought…that the Christmas tree but foreshadows the Christ-tree which only He could decorate for us,ornamented with nails as this.